April 22, 2006

Follow up: More on remote control robot vehicles

Commercial remote control cars are being used as the basis for military Bombots BomBots are not built from scratch but are modifications of commercially available remote-controlled monster trucks that are intended for adults to race and sell for $350 to $500. [The four workers] replace the original wheels with larger, tougher versions and swap out the radio for a tamper- and jam-resistant model that responds only to its operator's hand-held controller. They upgrade the truck's transmission and clutch and modify its springs. Then they add an antenna, a dump-truck bed, a flashlight-sized camera that provides a 360-degree view and conduct more tests.